Papa Groot
by FoxtrotTango543
Summary: After Rocket (accidentally) blasts Groot's arm off and is forced to clean up the mess, he takes a severed finger, shoves it into a plant pot filled with soil and waters it as an act of defiance. Only it backfires and creates a baby Groot, forcing Groot into the world of fatherhood. First Guardians of the Galaxy fanfiction, don't kill me.
1. A new arrival

Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians of the Galaxy, and knowing my luck, I never will. All rights go to Marvel.

* * *

It was an accident! Anyone could see that! Rocket would never deliberately aim a blaster at Groot's arm, blasting it into bits and causing him a ridiculous amount of pain, no matter what Drax said. His tail nudged it while he was fixing the wiring of the ship, and he had absolutely no idea it was loaded!

Yeah, well, maybe the fact that Groot was missing an arm was kinda his fault, but at least it wasn't permanent! Groot was a plant, for crying out loud! He could grow it back! But it was still deemed to his fault, so he had to be the one to clean up the debris of twigs left over from the fiasco. Oh, and he had to help Groot with all the two-handed things he usually did until his arm grew back. So, not long. It had only happened a half-hour ago, and there were already a few twiggy tendrils growing and twisting themselves around each other.

"Stupid Star-Lord," Rocket muttered, sweeping up the array of twigs that had been left behind. "Stupid Groot, saying he needs help with stuff now. He's eight feet tall and he's a plant! It'll grow back, you big baby! As if losing an arm will actually mean anything to the guy!"

As he swept up the twigs, he came across a particularly long, thick on that must have been one of Groot's fingers before it got blown off. That was when Rocket had an idea. Sure, the others might say it was mean and Rocket was just rubbing salt into the wound now, but Rocket wanted to have this moment to tell them all where to shove their stupid rules. So he found a plant pot filled with soil (he had no idea how long that had been there) unceremoniously shoved the severed finger inside and watered it.

"Screw all of you," Rocket muttered under his breath, as he left the severed plant finger to grow.

And then he forgot about it.

* * *

Rocket is an expert on making and using weapons. In his life, he has also designed some of his own weapons. However, despite having a plant for a best friend, Rocket knew very little about plants. He had no idea that Groot's finger would act as a plant cutting and end up growing a brand new, hopelessly adorable baby Groot.

But it did.

"I am in so much trouble when Quill finds out about this," Rocket muttered a week later, staring at the tiny baby plant that was busy dancing inside its little plant pot. "Good thing you're a plant and you don't need food. Our food bill is high enough with Drax living with us."

"I am Groot? (Who are you talking to in there?)" Groot asked, sticking his head in the gap. When he saw his friend standing over an infantile version of him, he almost fainted. The younger plant was delighted to see an older, wiser member of its species and assumed that Groot was his father. (From now on, they shall be called Baby Groot and Groot Senior to stop any confusion.)

"I am Groot! (You must be my daddy!)" Baby Groot smiled.

"I am Groot, (I guess so, little guy,)" Groot Senior confirmed. All of a sudden, Groot Senior felt a surge of paternal love for the little sapling. He would protect the littlest passenger on board with all his strength. Rocket looked on with a sense of apathy. He'd never cared for displays of affection, but at least it meant he got to palm the little twig onto the bigger twig. He was about to make a sarcastic remark about how hard parenthood was going to be to Groot Senior when Quill barged in and ruined the moment.

"Rocket, Groot, what's . . . going . . . on?" Star-Lord trailed off. "Whaaaa . . ."

* * *

Rocket, Groot Senior and Baby Groot all had to go to the deck of the Milano for them to explain the existence of Baby Groot to Peter, Gamora and Drax. Or rather, for Rocket to explain the existence of Baby Groot. "Well, after Groot's arm got blown off and I had to clean up the mess, I got a little frustrated, and I took a little twig that used to be one of Groot's fingers, stuck it into a pot of soil, watered it and left it lying around. A week later, I go to check on it, and I find this little guy," Rocket explained, pointing to Baby Groot. "How is this possible? If you don't water any other plant for a week, it dies! I forget about him for a week, and we get a baby plant!"

"I am Groot! (Hello, big person!)" Baby Groot chirped, reaching out to Peter. Peter couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, little guy," Peter cooed. "You're adorable, you know that, little guy? We should replace you with the trash panda who accidentally created you."

"I'm not a trash panda!" Rocket argued.

"I am Groot? (What's a trash panda?)" Baby Groot asked curiously.

"That," Peter said simply, pointing at Rocket.

"I am Groot? (You're a trash panda?)" Baby Groot asked Rocket.

"No!" Rocket growled. Peter and Drax was howling with laughter.

"If I had known of how angry my friend Rocket would get, I would have been the one to blast off Groot's arm!" Drax laughed. The big man was practically rolling around on the floor with hysterics. Peter was red in the face from suppressing laughter.

"Hey, Groot, can we blow another one of your arms off so we can grow more baby Groots?" Peter asked.

"I am Groot, (One is enough for me, Quill,)" Groot Senior calmly replied. By now, Gamora had started to take an interest in Baby Groot, watching the plant closely.

"Hi, Baby Groot," Gamora smiled, staring into the eyes of the flora colossus (a name like that seemed ironic when being applied to the miniscule being). Baby Groot smiled as he made grabbing motions in Gamora's direction. "You want me to hold you?"

"I am Groot! (Yay! The big green lady's going to pick me up!)" Baby Groot cheered, as Gamora lifted him onto her shoulder. "I am Groot! (Wow, I'm so high up! I can see everything from here! Thank you!)" Peter took a sneaky photo of the warrior woman breaking down her barriers for the helpless, adorable, fragile twig now known as Groot's offspring.

"Hey, Baby Groot, that big green lady is called Gamora," Peter explained. "That big guy with a lot of tattoos is called Drax. The trash panda who says he's not a trash panda is called Rocket. And I'm Peter Quill, AKA Star-Lord."

"He means Star-Loser," Rocket whispered.

"I am Groot? (Do you really mean Star-Loser?)" Baby Groot asked an infuriated Peter.

"What? No!" Peter yelled. Rocket lost his mind laughing.

"I am Groot, (Rocket's only saying that to mess with Peter,)" Groot Senior explained to Baby Groot. "I am Groot. (And it usually works.)"

"Of course it works. I wouldn't do it if it didn't," Rocket explained. "He doesn't get this angry unless you mess with his Walkman. It's amazing!"

"No, it is not!" Drax argued. "You will not teach the child such bad habits as yours, Rocket! He is pure and impressionable at this young age!"

"I am Groot! (I'm not a child!)" Baby Groot argued.

"I am Groot! (Yes, you are!)" Groot Senior told him.

"I am Groot! (Why do you think I'm a child?)" Baby Groot whined.

"I am Groot! (Because you haven't uprooted yourself yet! By flora colossus standards, that makes you the youngest child of all!)" Groot Senior told him.

"I am Groot! (You're not fair! I'm not a child!)" Baby Groot bawled, his bottom lip wobbling.

Groot Senior felt so guilty. He never meant to upset Baby Groot. His face softened to soothe the distraught younger plant. "I am Groot. (Oh, don't worry, little guy. Someday, you'll grow up to be just as big as me!)" Groot Senior smiled, rocking the infantile plant back and forth to calm him. Eventually, Baby Groot's eyes began to droop downwards. The baby plant began to yawn as he was held in Groot Senior's arms, who then carried the plant pot containing his precious child into his room. He set the plant child down on a shelf, making sure that Baby Groot would have plenty of access to light from the window, and watered him.

"I am Groot, (Thank you, Daddy,)" Baby Groot mumbled.

"I am Groot, (You're welcome,)" Groot Senior replied, as the older flora colossus settled down for the night.

* * *

A few minutes later, the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy found them both sleeping peacefully, snoring quietly. Groot Senior in a huge makeshift bed, Baby Groot in a plant pot near the window. Both looked hopelessly tired.

"That is so cute," Peter muttered. "Do you think this will happen all the time?"

"Well, Baby Groot's going to grow up eventually, so it won't last forever," Rocket explained.

"What do we do when Baby Groot isn't a baby any more?" Drax asked.

"There's a spare room full of junk we could get rid of," Gamora suggested.

"Hey, that's not junk! That's emergency spare parts!" Rocket protested.

"And half of those parts aren't even compatible with the ship," Peter argued. "Once Baby Groot gets old enough for his own room, he's sleeping there."

"Where do I put all my stuff then, Star-Lord? Huh?" Rocket asked angrily.

"In your own room?" Peter asked. Drax laughed openly at Rocket.

"He just ruined your entire argument!" Drax howled.

"It's not that funny!" Rocket whined, pouting.

"Oh, so you agree with me," Peter grinned. Gamora pinched the bridge of her nose as Drax howled with laughter and Rocket looked like he was about to kill someone but hadn't decided who.

"I'm going to bed, like the normal people," Gamora planned aloud, as she walked off to her room. Peter, for some reason, felt extremely tired and went to his own room. After that, Drax and Rocket decided to call it a night and went to bed.

The Milano was much quieter now, filled with the peace of sleep.


	2. Baby steps

Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians of the Galaxy, and knowing my luck, I never will. All rights go to Marvel.

* * *

Peter whistled the tune to a song nobody had heard of before as he went to see what on the ship needed to be done. There always seemed to be lots to do on the Milano, and Peter liked to be able to complain about something he knew about in advance than complain about something that he'd known about for all of two seconds. But he seemed to have struck lucky today, because as far as he could see, only a little bit of cleaning needed to be done and he was the one on breakfast duty. On a whim, he decided to check on Groot Senior and Baby Groot. Surprisingly, both of them were up and around, and Baby Groot was taking an adorable interest in Groot Senior's many flowers. He really liked them, and would stare at them like they were going to move or talk to him. After all, he was a plant and he talked; why couldn't they?

"I am Groot, (Why won't the flowers talk to me? Did I do something wrong?)" Baby Groot sobbed. Groot Senior patted his son's now much bigger head. Groot had grown to nearly twice his size overnight, literally.

"I am Groot, (Those plants can't talk. The only plants that can talk are flora colossus like us,)" Groot Senior explained.

"I am Groot? (Are they just dumb?)" Baby Groot asked, poking the plant curiously.

"I am Groot, (No, son, we're just a different type of plant,)" Groot Senior clarified.

"I am Groot? (So we're smart?)" Baby Groot asked. Groot Senior nodded. "I am Groot! (Yay, we're smart!)" Peter let out an aww noise, and both Groots heard it. "I am Groot? (What was that, Daddy?)"

"It's OK, little guy. It's just me, Peter," Peter smiled, coming out of the shadows so they could see him.

"I am Groot? (How long were you there?)" Groot asked.

"Just a few minutes, honestly," Peter promised. "I didn't mean to scare you, big guy. Sorry."

"I am Groot, (I'm not the one you need to apologize to,)" Groot explained, as he gestured to a shaking, terrified Baby Groot.

"I am Groot? (Daddy, will that noise happen again?)" Baby Groot was terrified. Peter felt extremely guilty about scaring Baby Groot.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little guy," Peter apologized, picking up the plant pot to give Baby Groot an "I'm sorry" hug. The sapling closed his eyes as Peter hugged him.

"I am Groot, (OK, Star-Lord,)" Baby Groot replied. Peter smirked.

"That's right, kid, I'm Star-Lord. Definitely not Star-Loser like what Rocket told you," Peter reassured. "So, you two want breakfast?"

"I am Groot! (Yeah, breakfast!)" Baby Groot cheered, as Peter carried him to the place he called the mess hall. They arrived to find Drax, Gamora and Rocket waiting for them. More specifically, waiting for Peter.

"Where were you? It's your turn to make breakfast for everybody," Rocket pointed out.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Peter hurriedly apologized, as he rushed into the kitchen to make some cereal. It wasn't the most complicated of breakfasts, but it would do. And it was quick, which was an extra bonus. But if he was going to go with simple, then he would have to prepare breakfast for the (admittedly small) flora colossus population on board the Milano. He got a bucket and a normal cup and filled both with water. Since flora colossus were plants, and all plants needed in the way of food was plant fertiliser and water (admittedly, most living things needed water) getting Groot Senior and Baby Groot breakfast would be easy. Peter served them first out of all the Guardians, which annoyed Rocket.

"Why do they get their breakfast first?" Rocket complained. "We're hungry too, you know!"

"Rocket, I'm sure we can wait," Gamora replied.

"Besides, one of them is only a sapling. Look at how small he is!" Drax argued. "If Peter is going to make sure the youngest member of this group is fed first, I am more than happy to wait."

"Good to know someone is willing to wait round here," Peter said, as he brought out four bowls of cereal for the rest of the group. Rocket and Drax ate greedily and messily, while Peter and Gamora subtly moved away from the scene. Groot Senior carefully poured the glass of water on Baby Groot. The younger flora colossus let out a happy sigh as the cold water was soaked in by his bark-covered skin and the soil in his plant pot. Groot drank his water right from the bucket, which grossed Rocket out.

"Dude, do you really have to drink water like that? It's disgusting and it's all over your face," Rocket whined ironically. Cornflakes soaked in milk embedded themselves into the fur on his face.

"I am Groot? (Was I supposed to make my breakfast go all over the table and my face like you?)" Groot Senior asked.

"BURN!" Peter cheered, reading the translator over and over in shock at what his plant friend had said. "And just when I thought plants couldn't handle fire!"

"I have to admit that that was impressive and unexpected," Gamora commented.

"See? Even Gamora thinks so!" Peter grinned. "I am never letting you forget this, Rocket, never!" Peter collapsed into laughter as Groot Senior grinned evilly. Baby Groot stared at his daddy adoringly.

"I am Groot! (My daddy is so cool!)" Baby Groot cheered, throwing up both his arms and stretching as high as he could. But as he stretched, there was a transformation that made everyone gasp.

Groot was uprooting himself from the plant pot.

First, you could see where his tiny hips and thighs started, but as Baby Groot uprooted himself more, his knees also became visible to the eyes of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Then his calves rose up, and finally, Baby Groot was standing on the plant pot he had been inhabiting only moments before, oblivious to the situation he was now in. He was still cheering for his awesome daddy, but as he leaned forward for his daddy to pick him up, he fell off the chair his plant pot was perched on.

Groot Senior caught his son immediately with his elongated twiggy fingers and held him tightly, not wanting to let go. "I am Groot? (Are you OK?)" Groot Senior asked.

"I am Groot, (Daddy, I feel weird,)" Baby Groot mumbled. "I am Groot? (Is there something wrong with me?)"

"I am Groot, (You were just uprooted, little guy. Now, you can finally walk on your own,)" Groot Senior explained. "I am Groot? (How does that sound, little guy?)" Baby Groot let a squeak of pure glee, and used his vines to quickly lower himself down to the floor so he could start walking. But instead of walking around like the rest of the people onboard, he wobbled and fell onto his face. He started to whimper and then cry, growing louder in volume. Groot Senior picked him up, shushing him as he rocked the sapling back and forth in his arms. After crying his eyes out, Baby Groot eventually stopped crying, hiccupping as Groot Senior consoled him.

"Oh, stop crying, twig," Rocket huffed. "So you fell. Everyone fell. Big deal. Get over it."

"Leave him alone, trash panda! Can't you see he's upset?" Peter asked angrily.

"I am Groot, (Falling over is OK, you know,)" Groot Senior told his son. "I am Groot. (You just need a little practice with walking. It's fine.)" He set Baby Groot down on the floor, supporting him so he could stand up. Groot Senior removed his hands and stood next to his son. "I am Groot. (Do as I do.)" Groot Senior took slow, deliberate steps forward, and Baby Groot was eager to copy his daddy. He walked forward, too, giggling happily as a flower unconsciously grew on top of his head. Peter struggled to contain his awws as he recorded the moment of Baby Groot's first steps. He couldn't lose this moment to history, after all.

"I am Groot! (Daddy, I'm walking!)" Baby Groot cheered, as they finally got close enough to touch the wall (without growing vines to make it easier). "I am Groot! (Daddy, I can walk!)"

"I am Groot! (I know!)" Groot Senior smiled, picking up his son and hugging him. "I am Groot! (You did it! I'm so proud of you!)"

"I am Groot! (I love you too!)" Baby Groot smiled, snuggling onto Groot Senior's shoulder as he yawned. Peter awwed, Gamora and Drax had the nerve to crack a smile and Rocket pretended not to care. But the raccoon who wasn't a raccoon did think that seeing his friend so happy was a good thing.

Not that he'd ever say it out loud, though. He'd never live it down.


	3. Learning about music

Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians of the Galaxy, and knowing my luck, I never will. All rights go to Marvel.

* * *

Now Baby Groot had been uprooted, he needed some new sleeping arrangements. Rocket still didn't know much about plants, despite having a pretty big hand in Baby Groot's existence, but even he could figure out that for a flora colossus, a small plant pot would be akin to a baby's crib. (Peter's words.) So he got a bigger plant pot, elevated it off the ground with small wooden stilts and filled it up with lots of nutrient-rich fertiliser. The arrangement seemed to be working, as Baby Groot jumped in, covered himself in soil as a sort of blanket and fell asleep in the space of a minute. Groot Senior, it was observed, refused to go to sleep until Baby Groot was also sleeping, something Drax could relate to, as he had been a parent until his daughter was killed and Groot Senior was being a perfectly normal first-time parent, and Peter thought was adorable. Gamora let the flora colossus duo do their thing, so long as it didn't involve messing with her or the ship. Rocket had the same ideology, but was happy to answer questions for the adorably impressionable Baby Groot . . . with the craziest answers possible. It ranged from deliberately being slightly inaccurate to saying things so crazy that even Baby Groot had an inkling that maybe it kind of wasn't true. Usually the latter.

"I am Groot? (Where did Peter get his Walkman thing from?)" Baby Groot asked, as Rocket was in the middle of repairing the wires on the Milano. Rocket was in two minds about what to do next. He could just tell Baby Groot to go away and wait for him to stop working before he asked questions, or he could give Baby Groot a crazy explanation and then continue to say crazy things to keep him on the hook for more crazy things, so when he eventually went back to the others and told them what he'd said, he could have a good laugh about it. He obviously chose option 2.

"Well, little twig, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but it used to be part of an evil robot's brain, but then Peter killed the robot in a huge fight and he uses the tiny bit of robot's brain to play music," Rocket explained. Baby Groot gasped, and then ran away to Peter. Rocket grinned as he got back to work. He never thought he could have his cake and eat it, but that was what he got, and he certainly wasn't going to complain about it.

Peter was relaxing in his bedroom, listening to music and drinking orange juice (which was now considered a luxury to him since he no longer lived on Earth) when Baby Groot came up to him. What confused the self-proclaimed Star-Lord was why Baby Groot came to him and not Groot Senior, who the younger flora colossus saw as his dad. (Which was true considering Baby Groot and Groot Senior shared DNA . . . all of their DNA, actually. Baby Groot was and is a genetic clone of Groot Senior since he'd grown from a plant cutting.) "Hey, little guy. Why aren't you with your daddy?" Peter smiled. He turned on the translator he always had to understand what the youngster said.

"I am Groot? (I wanna ask you something,)" Baby Groot explained.

"OK, little guy. What do you want to know?" Peter asked. He was not prepared for the answer.

"I am Groot? (Is your Walkman really made out of an evil robot's brain?)" Groot questioned tentatively. Peter choked on his orange juice at the question, and Baby Groot watched some of it dribble down his chin.

"What? No!" Peter denied. He was actually just really surprised, but to Baby Groot, he sounded angry. "How could I take out a robot's brain and make it into a Walkman? That's not how Walkmans work!"

"I am Groot, (But Rocket said so,)" Groot whimpered, on the verge of tears. Peter felt bad.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little guy," Peter smiled. "I really need to stop making you cry like this. You know I don't mean it, right?" Baby Groot nodded.

"I am Groot, (I know,)" Baby Groot replied, still sniffling. But he knew that Peter was a nice person, and was very nice to him. Everyone knew Peter liked to spoil the young flora colossus, and did so a lot. In fact, when it came to spoiling the young flora colossus, he was second to one person: Groot Senior, his beloved daddy.

"Now, don't listen to the stuff Rocket tells you about my Walkman, OK? Walkmans are made in boring factories on Earth," Peter told the baby plant, as he put on some headphones. Then he underwent a curious change, and it scared Baby Groot. Peter was wilting, going from being bolt upright to basically lying on the floor with a huge smile on his face. Baby Groot had no idea what to do, until he remembered what his daddy did for plants that were wilting. He poured water on them and then stuck his finger into the soil, and then they grew up and became healthy again! Baby Groot raced to get water for Peter, who he honestly believed was dying. He took the water and splashed it all over him, causing Peter to splutter and sit up ram rod straight, wiping the water off his face. Then he stuck his whole fist into Peter's belly button, knocking the wind out of him (since it basically acted as a massive punch, despite his diminutive size). Baby Groot cheered out of pure joy and hugged Peter tightly, honestly believing his quick thinking had saved his life.

"I am Groot! (Peter! Peter, I saved you! You were lying down on the floor and I got some water and I saved you!)" Baby Groot cheered, cuddling close to the big, bad Star-Lord. "I am Groot? (Are you happy?)"

Peter sighed and picked Baby Groot up, plopping him down on the floor next to him. "Little guy, I was fine the whole time," Peter explained to a very confused Baby Groot. "I was listening to music on my Walkman and I like to lie down to listen to it! I wasn't sick or anything, I promise you!" Then a thought struck him. "Wait, my Walkman! I hope the water didn't damage it!" But the treasured Walkman was, by some miracle, bone-dry, and the Star-Lord breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am Groot, (I'm sorry, Peter. I saw my daddy do it with plants,)" Baby Groot muttered. "I am Groot. (I thought it would work on you. I'm sorry.)"

"Oh, it's fine. Misunderstandings happens all the time," Peter told him. In Baby Groot's mind, he sounded like a wise philosopher. "Just remember that what works on plants might not work on people. That's all."

Baby Groot nodded, before suddenly asking a question. "I am Groot? (Humans need water, right?)" the young plant asked.

"Yes, why?" Peter asked, already dreading what Baby Groot would say next. "People will usually do whatever they can to get even a little bit of clean water, because without it, we die."

"I am Groot? (Well, toilet water's clean. Can you drink that?)" Baby Groot asked. Peter groaned.

"No, twig, toilet water isn't clean. It's filled with poop and pee. Toilet water will make me very sick if I drink it," Peter explained. "The water I drink is from the sink, and it's been specially cleaned. That water's safe for me."

"I am Groot? (Is that why Rocket says that Daddy and I can't drink the pretty fountain water?)" Baby Groot asked. Peter nodded.

"Exactly, Baby Groot. Rocket's just worried that the fountain water is pretty, but not really clean," Peter explained. "So don't drink the pretty fountain water, and tell your daddy not to drink the pretty fountain water, either. It might not be good for you."

"I am Groot! (OK, Peter! I'll tell my daddy not to drink the fountain water,)" Baby Groot smiled, as he skipped out of Peter's room. "I am Groot! (And I'll never listen to what Rocket says about your Walkman ever, I promise!)"

"Attaboy!" Peter cheered, before listening to Blue Swede's _Hooked on a Feeling_ one more time. "In a best case scenario, you would never listen to anything Rocket said, ever, but I suppose it's a start."

* * *

Baby Groot wandered through the Milano searching for Rocket. He had made a mistake about Peter's Walkman, and Baby Groot had to tell him that he'd got it wrong so Rocket didn't make mistakes any more. It turned out that Rocket was still repairing the ship's wiring, so the opportunity was perfect for Baby Groot to explain to Rocket what he'd just learned.

"I am Groot! (Rocket, I have to talk to you!)" Baby Groot yelled, tugging on Rocket's tail.

"And I have to do some very important repairs," Rocket replied. "This better be important, twiglet. And don't tug on my tail."

"I am Groot! (Sorry! But it really is important! I just found out that Peter's Walkman isn't made out of a robot's brain!)" Baby Groot informed. Rocket did his best to act surprised, which wasn't very good.

"No way, really?" he asked. He was being sarcastic, but there was no way Baby Groot would know that. He had no idea what sarcasm was, anyway.

"I am Groot! (Really really! Peter told me so!)" Baby Groot confirmed, proud of himself for being able to correct someone as smart as Rocket on something. (As far as Baby Groot was concerned, anyone who was proven to be an adult was an absolute genius.) "I am Groot! (Peter told me that it was made in a boring factory on Earth!)"

"Wow, that's a surprise!" Rocket said, lying through his teeth. "You know, I think this might be a toy for humans! Peter smiles whenever he uses it. Have you seen him do that?"

"I am Groot! (Yeah, I have!)" Baby Groot realized. "I am Groot! (I'll ask him about it!)" Baby Groot ran away back to Peter, and the raccoon grinned.

"I wonder if those scientists genetically gifted me with a silver tongue," he thought aloud. "Or maybe it's something I picked up. Either way, I've got it."

* * *

Baby Groot rushed back to Peter, this time trying to jump on his shoulder. "I am Groot? (How does this work?)" he asked, pointing at the Walkman.

"It lets me listen to music," Peter explained. He figured that would be the end of it, until Baby Groot opened up with this particular gem.

"I am Groot (What's music?)" Baby Groot asked. Peter's eyes widened to the size of Drax's fists. His mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"What?" the big, bad Star-Lord spluttered. "You don't know what music is?" Baby Groot shook his head. "Then I'll show you." He took the headphones off his head and put them on Groot's tiny head. "Listen," he instructed, as he let the phone shuffle the playlist to 'Can't Stop The Feeling' by Justin Timberlake. Baby Groot was confused, then he began to smile and relax. This sounded nice. No, it sounded amazing! It wasn't long until he started tapping his foot in time to the music, and eventually, he danced along with a big smile on his face. Peter soon joined in; Baby Groot was more like him than he had thought and he liked that. The two danced together, with Peter teaching Baby Groot silly dance moves to make him laugh. The twiglet tried to copy Peter as best as he could, but would stumble. It didn't deter him, though. He loved every bit of it.

Meanwhile, Rocket, Drax, Gamora and Groot Senior were just outside, watching the whole thing. "This is going to make awesome blackmail material," Rocket chuckled, as he filmed it all.

"I am Groot, (You'd better not be thinking about blackmailing my son,)" Groot Senior warned.

"Relax! I'm not being mean to a kid! That's low!" Rocket protested. For a moment, Rocket actually looked like a caring person with at least some morals. "I was talking about Peter." Groot Senior nodded, completely dismissing what his friend had just said about his other friend.

"Although I disagree with the frivolous activity of dancing, I find it satisfying to watch Peter bonding with the twiglet that you call a son, Groot," Drax admitted.

"Oh, let them bond over a shared interest," Gamora sighed. "Let's leave them be." Drax and Gamora left them alone. Groot Senior, despite his better judgement, went with them. He knew Baby Groot would be returned to him safely by Peter. Rocket stayed behind to film the adorable scene for blackmail purposes, silently ruining what would and could have been an adorable moment.

"Smile for the camera, loser," Rocket smirked.


	4. Yondu visits

Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians of the Galaxy, and knowing my luck, I never will. All rights go to Marvel.

* * *

Some time had passed, and the Guardians got a surprise message from none other than Yondu Udonta, Peter's adoptive father (well, sort of). It had been some time and he wanted to check on Peter to make sure that he wasn't going soft with his new job as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. (As far as Yondu was concerned, a job like that probably had 'going soft' as an occupational hazard. He figured it was something to do with the name.) And when Yondu visited, he had a tendency to not let anyone know in advance. As far as Peter knew, Yondu had learned it when he was younger as a way of stopping people from hiding things from him. And he was especially curious about the 'little guy' Peter had told him all about.

"Boy, I need to talk to ya about the little guy ya keep yappin' about," Yondu stated. "You don't say nothin' about it unless you're goin' on an' on about how cute he is and how he looks just like his daddy. If he's got you this crazy, then I'll need to know more."

"If you really wanna know, come over and I'll take you to him," Peter teased. Anyone listening could know that Peter wasn't serious . . . anyone but Yondu.

"Fine, I will," Yondu snapped. "I'll be over in an hour." The line went dead. Peter gulped and rushed to tell Groot Senior and Baby Groot about the new visitor to the Milano.

When he found them, Groot Senior was teaching Baby Groot how to tend to plants and grow flowers out of his body. Baby Groot watched in amazement as his daddy concentrated really hard, shut his eyes and grew a blue flower from the palm of his hand.

"I am Groot? (I can do that?)" Baby Groot asked. Groot Senior nodded. "I am Groot! (That's awesome!)"

"I am Groot? (Oh, you think so?)" Groot Senior asked, grinning. "I am Groot. (Watch this.)" He took a wilting rose bush and stuck his fingers into the surrounding soil. Baby Groot gasped and cheered as the bush slowly stood taller, then started growing roses that bloomed a deep shade of red.

"I am Groot! (Now I try!)" Baby Groot cheered, finding a seedling and sticking his tiny finger into the soil. The seedling grew, and grew, until it was easily twice of Baby Groot's size. That was when Groot Senior decided to call it quits with the plant-growing lessons.

"I am Groot! (OK, that's enough!)" Groot Senior yelped, hurriedly taking the plant away. Baby Groot was disappointed, but then he saw Peter waiting for them.

"I am Groot! (Peter, you're here!)" Baby Groot squealed, hugging Peter. "I am Groot? (But why?)"

"Well, I have to tell you something," Peter explained. "There's a man about to visit you, and he wants to see you two. You especially, little one."

"I am Groot! (I'm not little!)" Baby Groot protested. "I am Groot! (Why do people keep calling me little?)"

"Because you're not even two feet tall yet," Peter pointed out. "That definitely counts as little." Baby Groot pouted.

"I am Groot, (I'm not little,)" Baby Groot repeated. "I am Groot? (Who is he, anyway?)"

"His name is Yondu Udonta, head of the Ravagers," Peter replied. "He's also my adoptive father."

"I am Groot? (Yondu's your daddy?)" Baby Groot asked.

"I guess so," Peter replied wryly, grinning a little. Then Peter got a message from Yondu.

"Boy, what are you doing still inside that damn ship? Let me in so I can see the little guy!" Yondu ordered. Peter had no idea that Yondu would get there so quickly. He figured he would just call and ask to speak to Baby Groot, not pay a personal visit. Peter rushed to the doors to let his adoptive father into the ship, which was when the search began. Yondu looked in every room of the ship for the mysterious 'little guy'.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" Peter yelped.

"Hey, would ya quit yappin'? I'm lookin' fer the little guy," Yondu muttered, looking around. "Ya seen him anywhere?"

"Oh, he's right around here; come this way," Peter replied, showing Yondu to the room holding Groot Senior and Baby Groot. Yondu's jaw dropped. Baby Groot squeaked and hid behind his daddy. The blue guy with the fin on his head looked really scary to him.

"I am Groot, (Daddy, he's scary,)" Baby Groot whimpered. "I am Groot? (Why is he here?)"

"Oh, don't be like that, twig," Yondu huffed. "Peter's been tellin' me about ya. Didn't know the big guy was a girl till now."

"I am Groot! (I'm not a lady!)" Groot Senior stammered. This sent Yondu's head spinning.

"Hol' on a minute. If you're not a lady, then how'd you get a kid?" Yondu asked. "This don't make no sense, you hear me? Guys can't do that stuff. And where's the lady gone, anyway?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'll explain!" Rocket yelped. "Ya see, Groot Senior, the big guy, got his arm blown off by one of my guns and there were little twigs left all over the place. One of the fingers got put inside a plant pot and I watered it as a way to tell Peter where his rules can go. A week later, a tiny twig with a big smile grows from it, and there he is now."

"I am Groot? (Really? Where?)" Baby Groot asked, excitedly looking around for a twig inside a plant pot. Yondu chuckled.

"I think he means you," Yondu pointed out. Baby Groot glared at Rocket.

"I am Groot! (I was not a tiny twig!)" Baby Groot argued.

"Yeah, you were," Rocket replied, grinning.

"I am Groot! (Was not!)" Baby Groot yelled.

"Were too!" Rocket yelled back.

"I am Groot! (Was not!)" Baby Groot yelled.

"Were too!" Rocket yelled back. "Groot, you tell him!"

"I am Groot, (I don't think I can look down that far without having to regrow my entire body,)" Groot Senior replied. Yondu and Peter laughed.

"Nice one, tree!" Yondu congratulated.

"Hey, knock that off. I don't want to hear you call me short ever again," Rocket snapped.

"I am Groot, (That's funny. I didn't use your name, Rocket. How could you have known that I was talking about you?) Groot Senior sassed. Baby Groot laughed, as did Yondu, Drax and Peter. Gamora just smiled. Rocket frowned at them all. Drax thought it was particularly hilarious.

"Your best friend just exposed your deepest insecurity to us all!" the tattooed warrior howled. Rocket huffed.

"Oh, thanks for pointing that out, Drax," Rocket muttered.

"You are very welcome!" Drax boomed, still laughing. "Oh, the betrayal is so clear to us all! It is so clear that it is making the situation even funnier!"

"I said you're welcome, Drax," Rocket growled, glaring at Drax.

"And I said that you are welcome," Drax replied. He wasn't laughing, but he was still grinning. "Why are you repeating yourself?"

"He's being sarcastic, big guy. Don't worry about it," Peter explained hurriedly. Drax nodded and fell silent. Meanwhile, Baby Groot and Yondu were getting acquainted, while Groot Senior stayed a good distance away. He didn't want to be too much of a pushy parent with his only son.

"Hey, kid, stop climbing all over me!" Yondu grunted. "You're scratching me with your twiggy little fingers!"

"I an Groot! (But it's fun!)" Baby Groot argued, as he climbed Yondu like the blue Ravager was a mountain.

"Hey, big guy, you stop him!" Yondu ordered. Groot Senior complied and pulled his son off the disgruntled Ravager, who promptly dusted himself off, expecting to see tiny twigs falling onto the floor with every shake of his leather coat.

"I am Groot, (You are not supposed to climb on people you barely know,)" Groot Senior scolded. Baby Groot hung his head and sighed.

"I am Groot! (But he's nice!)" Baby Groot insisted. Yondu started to grow fond of the tiny plant person.

"You know what? Never mind, big guy," Yondu replied. "He's not that bad."

"I am Groot? (I'm not?)" Baby Groot asked, smiling innocently at the Ravager chief.

"Nah, twig. You're manageable," Yondu replied. "I'm just glad you're not a teenager."

"I am Groot? (Why?)" Baby Groot asked.

"Because teenagers are dumber than a second coat of paint and generally more useless than a screen door on a submarine," Rocket explained bluntly to the plant child. "They are vicious, but also dense as all hell."

"I am Groot, (Teenagers sound mean,)" Baby Groot whimpered.

"Don't worry, none of us are teenagers, and you won't meet any as long as I've got something to do with it," Rocket promised. Baby Groot sighed with relief. He wasn't quite sure how teenagers worked, but they sounded scary.

"I am Groot, (Thank you,)" Baby Groot whispered, hugging Rocket's tail. Rocket stiffened up, before he picked Baby Groot up and handed him to his father. But Baby Groot rejected his father's touch, and his arms strained towards Yondu. "I am Groot? (Could you hold me, please?)" His big eyes full of hope broke the Ravager's will and he, in a move that shocked everyone, held Baby Groot in his arms. Groot Senior smiled at the scene unfolding in front of him.

"Hey, twig," Yondu smiled. "You like me, don't you?"

"I am Groot, (Yeah,)" Baby Groot replied, snuggling. "I am Groot. (You're nice. And you're not a teenager.)"

"I'm not sure if calling Yondu a teenager is an insult or a compliment at this point," Peter muttered. Yondu glared at him, but said nothing. He was holding a child, and as ruthless as he could possibly be, he refused to do such things to a kid. Even Ravagers had standards and their own code of conduct, and after being himself sold to be a slave as a baby, Yondu didn't want to put Baby Groot through the same sort of horrific experiences.

"You're lucky I haven't given you a knuckle sandwich, boy," Yondu muttered, checking on Baby Groot to see if he was scared. In reality, Baby Groot was fast asleep on his shoulder, letting a thin river of plant sap trickle out of his mouth and onto Yondu's leather coat.

"I am Groot, (I'll put him to bed,)" Groot Senior volunteered, carefully lifting his child off the Ravager's shoulder and onto his own. Then the elder flora colossus carried Groot to bed (a medium-sized plant pot). "I am Groot. (Keep quiet so you don't wake him.)"

"Fine, fine," Rocket dismissed. "Keep quiet so you don't wake him. I can be quiet!" Rocket let out a huff and picked up a blaster, intending to toy with it as if it was a very destructive stress toy. Unfortunately, he picked it up by the trigger and set it off, blasting a massive dent in the ship. Everyone slowly turned to look at Baby Groot. Unbelievably, he was still asleep.

"What were you thinking?" Drax hissed. "You could have destroyed the ship! We could have died!"

"But we didn't, and we didn't. No harm, no foul," Rocket reasoned. Drax grunted and turned away from the stubborn raccoon, going to bed.

"Your logic is ridiculous and it exhausts me. I am going to get some sleep now," Drax told the Guardians. "Goodnight."

"Drax has a point, you know," Peter muttered to Rocket.

"About getting some sleep?" Rocket asked.

"No, about your logic being ridiculous," Peter replied. "I'm going to bed, too. Bye."

"I am also leaving," Gamora announced. "I'm not sure if either of you realize it, but you are hopelessly immature." With that, she turned and left. Peter, in an effort to look like he was taking care of himself, also went to bed, which just left Rocket.

"Ah, well, guess I'll be going to sleep to. It's easier now those losers finally shut up," the anthropomorphic raccoon muttered to himself.

* * *

Yondu, meanwhile, had just got back to the Ravagers' ship and was busy overseeing the people and the inner workings of the ship itself. Much to the Alpha Centauri's horror, he saw one of his men sniggering at him. "Yondu, where'd that bit of slime come from?" he guffawed. Yondu glared daggers at him.

"When I was out, I ran into a guy that wanted to take me for all I had. I wasn't gonna let that happen and knocked some common sense into him," Yondu lied. "That there must be some of his blood, and it'll be mixing with yours if you don't get out of my sight!" The nameless man scattered, and Yondu sighed as he wiped the tiny bit of plant sap off his beloved trench coat. If his men knew that he got it from cuddling a baby plant, he'd never be allowed to forget it.


End file.
